While the summer weather may be a little duller than some had hoped, the summer new development market is anything but. Forget a summer slowdown: the real estate markets in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary remain chock-full of crowded sales centres and in-demand developments. There are also a fair number of tantalizing projects launching this fall that eager homebuyers have not been able to get enough of.

We’ve compiled a list of the five hottest developments that are worth keeping an eye on in Summer 2013. Enjoy!

The Guardian is located in the Warehouse District of Victoria Park, an area teeming with new cafes, restaurants and shops, thanks to recent investment from local businesses and the city. The historic neighbourhood is also home to an LRT station and is within walking distance of Downtown and the East Village. That all adds up to a location that is as desirable as the 321 homes inside the 44-storey tower.

If you’re looking for hip restaurants and trendy shops, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better area than Chinatown in Vancouver. The historic community is in the midst of renewal and 188 Keefer is playing a big part of that. The brick podium and tower will be comprised of 156 homes and boast over 4,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenity, all standing above street-level shops and services. And with homes starting from $259,900, 188 Keefer is on the affordable side of the Vancouver real estate market.

There are few neighbourhoods in Toronto that can hold a candle to The Junction. Currently in the midst of a commercial renaissance, everything from design stores, cafes, brew pubs and bakeries have made the move to Dundas Street West. The perfect place for urbanites who don’t want a high-rise lifestyle, DUKE Condos is a boutique building coming to Dundas and Keele. The seven-storey building will feature 109 units and fit right into the lively streetscape.

Urban on the inside, suburban on the outside, the uber-popular project by Tobyn Park Homes is earning many fans among Burlington condo-hunters. Taking its name from the 2-acre private park that surrounds the structure, ParkCity is a study in balanced living. The interiors were imagined by the UNION31, designers known for their work in Downtown Toronto while, on the outside, the four-storey structure is graced with a rooftop with a view of Halton region.

This new 86 unit project in Toronto’s Bloordale Village will be an architectural standout in the relatively modest community. Clearly Quadrangle Architects, the team behind Enigma Lofts’ unique aesthetic, took some risks when designing the building. The amount of hype that accompanied the unveiling of the renderings demonstrated that the risks were definitely worth taking. Equally stunning are Enigma’s chic interiors. What a gem!

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